An attributional model of motivation is developed to account for achievement strivings. The model assumes that attributions for the causes of success and failure mediate between antecedent stimulus cues and achievement-oriented behavior. More specifically, it is postulated that individuals process and synthesize information to reach causal judgments, that the causal judgments in achievement contexts can be categorized into two primary dimensions (locus of control and causal stability), that the causal dimensions influence expectancy shifts and affective reactions, and that expectancy and affect determine goal- directed behavior. Thus, the principles of social perception are included within the framework of Expectancy X Value theory. The proposed research is classified into three areas. The first area pertains to cognitive psychology, and icludes the determinants of causal ascriptions and the effects of cognitive maturity upon the formation and use of causal attributions. The second area pertains to motivational and educational psychology, and includes investigations that attempt to enhance achievement strivings by utilizing misattribution techniques. Finally, the third area of study incorporates issues in general experimental psychology, such as the effects of reinforcement schedules and rates upon operant behavior and resistance to extinction. It is argued that reinforcement schedules and rates influence causal ascriptions and therefore affect behavior.